For a fun family adventure any day of the year, visit the Magnuson Park Children’s Garden! The garden is open to the public free of charge each day from dawn to dusk, for self-guided tours.
Contents of this page:
- A description of the garden's fun and educational features
- Family workparty opportunities
- Wildlife in the garden
- 2009 summer event schedule
- Links
- Directions to the garden
This vibrant, interactive, children’s garden was designed by a team of professionals, using the ideas that were dreamed up by children from the community. It is filled with plants and other features that delight all the senses, such as:
• A sea of grasses that rustle in the wind.
• Plants that feed butterflies and other beneficial insects, hummingbirds and songbirds.
• Blueberries and Currants for humans (and birds) to nibble on.
• Tea and Pizza Gardens.
• Child-size picnic tables.
• A spiral path up a hill to the “Lookout”, the highest point in the whole community garden.
• A Grey Whale Garden, complete with mosaic tail and eyes, and a tall grass spout!
Family Workparty Opportunities
Children and adult volunteers from the community also built and maintain the Magnuson Children's Garden.
From spring to fall each year, the Children’s Garden Committee hosts FREE family activities there for community volunteers and their children! At these events, volunteers gather to maintain and enhance the Children’s Garden, with guidance from the Garden Coordinators. And all adults who participate in these events are invited to bring children with them for free nature activities, such as exploring the worm bin, going on sensory walks, creating nature art, planting and harvesting! Tools and gloves are provided, as well as refreshments. To top it off, King County Master Gardeners and other horticultural experts are on hand at each event to answer questions about your own garden free of charge!
Wildlife in the garden- August 2009 update:
Some exciting news about the increasing wildlife value of the Magnuson Children's Garden!
- A pair of Chickadees successfully raised a brood of chicks in our nest box on the wooden arbor in June- and the children in the first Jr. Nature Explorers Camp of the summer got to hear the peep peep peep of the nestlings before they fledged the nest!
- For 7 weeks in a row, a tree frog was found living in and (presumably) hunting bugs from inside our little garden shed! We left a pie pan of water out to keep him and the bugs happy..... but once the mid-August rains arrived, he must have found "greener pastures" to hunt from.
- For the 2nd consecutive year, a garter snake has been seen patrolling the south garden perimeter or sleeping in the sunny spot on the hill, and our slug problems continue to disappear- yay! The children in Jr. Nature Explorers Camp and our workparty volunteers have been excited to have the chance to watch it slither through the garden!
- Our regular "cast" of hummingbirds, white-crowned sparrows, swallows, and red wigglers also continue to delight!
Summer 2009 Children's Garden Events:
1) Friday August 7th from 6-8pm Recess Monkey Band @ Free Family Concert
We’ll be hosting free kid’s activity stations inside the children’s garden while this very popular band for kids and families gives a free concert in the Magnuson outdoor amphitheater, which is just across the lawn from the children’s garden.
2) Our next "Wednesday Workparty" is on August 12th from 1pm-3pm. Come help the garden grow! We will be working on some light weeding tasks and mulching. Tools and gloves provided for all adults and children, and there will be refreshments!
3) Our first big fall workparty will be on Saturday Sept 19th from 10am-2pm.
Seattle Works is sending us an energetic team of volunteers to do end-of-season cleanup and begin creating an exciting new project that will add beauty and more street safety to the children's garden. Tools and gloves are provided for all adults and children, and there will be refreshments! Come join in the fun and camaraderie as we work together towards these goals!
4) Our second big fall workparty will be on Saturday October 17th from 10am-2pm. Seattle Works is sending us another energetic team of volunteers to finish creating the exciting new project that will add beauty and more street safety to the children's garden. Tools and gloves are provided for all adults and children, and there will be refreshments! Come join in the fun and camaraderie as we work together towards this goal!
For more information, or to sign up to volunteer at any of these events, please contact the Magnuson Children's Garden Committee at magnusonchildrensgarden@gmail.com
Links:
The Magnuson Children's Garden is also host to the Jr. Nature Explorers Program during the spring and summer months. For info about this program, which is sponsored by the Magnuson Community Center, visit http://jrnatureexplorers.blogspot.com
You can also find additional information about the Magnuson Children’s Garden and Community Garden at http://www.seattle.gov/magnusongarden/default.htm
The Children's Garden is part of the 3.5 acre Magnuson Community Garden, located inside Warren G. Magnuson Park
7400 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
The Children's Garden is easy to find! It is located right behind building #406, also known as "The Brig". If you are traveling to the garden by foot or by car, follow these directions:
Directions:
Enter Magnuson Park at the 74th St entrance. Go approx. 4 blocks until you reach the second 4-way stop sign. The entrance to the Community Garden is via the sidewalk on the north side of this intersection. The Children's Garden is just a few steps down the sidewalk- look on your left for an entry arbor with colorful flags and a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar Tree draped over its top, and the giant Grey Whale Garden !
If you're driving, turn right at that second 4-way stop, and park in the Jr. League Playground parking lot. (if you reach the dog park you've gone too far) Use the crosswalk to go back across 74th St. and into the Children's Garden!
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